Happy 90th Birthday Hazel McCallion - Mayor of Mississauga, Ontario - Canada's Oldest Mayor!!! It is Hazel McCallion's 90th birthday on Monday, February 14, 2011.  She has been mayor of Missississauga, Ontario since 1978 and has won every mayoral election since that time.  She has stated that her current term as mayor will be her final term. Hazel has been an extremely popular mayor and has helped direct the growth of Mississauga over the years. Mississauga is a city located on the western border of Toronto, Ontario. Happy 90th Birthday Hazel McCallion - Mayor of Mississauga, Ontario - Canada's Oldest Mayor!!! 02/13/2011

Good Start to 2011  February 4, 2011 -- Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 4,337 transactions through the TorontoMLS® system in January 2011. This result was 13 per cent lower than the record result reported in January 2010."While off the record pace experienced a year ago, the GTA resale market has started the year on a solid footing. Home buyers in Toronto and surrounding areas continue to benefit from a diversity of housing types for sale at many different price points," said TREB President Bill Johnston.The average selling price for January 2011 sales was $427,037, representing an increase of over four per cent compared to the average of $409,058 reported in January 2010."The average selling price is expected to grow at a moderate pace in 2011. Growth rates in the three to five per ... 02/05/2011

I often get asked this question, particularly from first time home buyers.  Understanding the process is something buyers need to know in advance, and I always take the time to ensure they fully understand the meaning of all the clauses contained in the Offer. If you have a Home Inspector you would prefer to use, let your agent know.  If you don't know of one, ask your realtor to provide you with the names of 3-4 that he/she would reocmmend and select one from that list.  I always refer clients to Home Inspectors I know and trust and who I know will provide outstanding service to the Buyer, their client.    I always educate them too on the primary purpose of the inspection, and that is to look for major structural defaults, cracks in the foundation, whether the shingles are in dire need... 01/11/2011

A Homesellers Success with Staging Vacant Homes in Toronto, Ontario  The creation of bringing life into an empty space if you will. There was a time, way back when in the Real Estate Industry, where it really didn't matter very much what a house looked like when it first went on the market. Home Staging and Staging Vacant Homes was not a culture that had been adopted yet. Agents and home sellers alike, knew that eventually, their house would sell no matter what it looked like or what condition it was in. The rooms may have been painted in various shades of Easter egg colours, like bright blues, pinks and yellows and furniture (though sparse) may have been mismatched. I'm sure somewhere along the way, we have all seen homes like this; maybe we even lived in one during our childhood or pe... 01/06/2011

 Third Best Year for Existing Home Sales January 6, 2011 -- Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 4,395 existing home sales for the month of December, bringing the 2010 total to 86,170 - down by one per cent compared to 2009."Market conditions were anything but uniform in 2010. We went from super-charged sales activity during the first four months of the year, to a marked drop-off in transactions in the summer and then in the fall saw sales climb back to levels that are sustainable over the longer term," said TREB President Bill Johnston."New Federal Government-mandated mortgage lending guidelines, higher borrowing costs and misconceptions about the HST caused a pause in home buying in the summer. As it became clear that the HST was not applicable to the sale price of an existing home and ... 01/06/2011

Not a creature was stirring, not even that pesky little mouse that has invaded my basement !!  Ahhhh, but he met his match last night, and he enjoyed his last taste of peanut butter in my strategically placed trap!! The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be here!!    Geez, better get that fireplace cleaned of creosote, and open the damper so he can get in....and oh, yes remove the logs I have all set for my Christmas Day fire... The children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads..  Well, not quite sugar plums, probably a new PSP, or Bay Blades, or the newest Barbie doll and her summer resort, including a pool!! And mamma in her "kerchief" and I in my cap, had just settled our brains for a... 12/24/2010

  There is no better time to get pre-qualified for a mortgage and buy your dream home.  Get locked in now at these low interest rates... 12/10/2010

                                                                        Sales Strong in NovemberDecember 3, 2010 -- Greater Toronto REALTORS reported 6,510 existing home sales in November - down 13 per cent from 7,446 sales in November 2009. New listings were also down 13 per cent annually to 8,642. On a month-over-month basis, the seasonally adjusted annual rate of sales increased for the fourth straight month to 88,100. This rate was substantially higher than the July low of 67,900."The GTA resale market has tightened since the summer. Healthy market conditions continued to support growth in the average selling price," said Toronto Real Estate Board President Bill Johnston."Sales through the first 11 months of the year were down only marginally compared to the same period in 2009. We ... 12/06/2010

GOOGLE ANALYTICS... ARE YOU TRACKING & OPTIMIZING YOUR WEB TRAFFIC? I subscribed to Google Analytics abput six months ago, and was amazed at the kind, and depth of information I could garner from this and how it could help me customize my web site based on the statistics it revealed. Its a great way to monitor  your website to determine what areas need changing. Google analytics is a free service that generates detailed statistics about the visitors to a website, aimed at marketers. It can track visitors from referrers, including search engines, display advertising, pay-per-click networks and email marketing. From the Dashboard, you can track: •·       # of visits •·       # of pageviews •·       # of pages per visit •·       Bounce Rate •·       Average time on Site •·       % of New v... 12/05/2010

its that time of year again, when it brings joy to some and despair to others.  i am so fortunate to be in a good pleace where it is a happy time for me and my family, unlike so many others who can't afford to give their childre a toy or a good mal on Christmas. Our office  has, once again, set up donation boxes at both of our Mississauga locations for collection of non-perishable foot items to help those families in need, or toys to mke a child's Christmas. Our local public schools have also "adopted" a needy family where donations are being made to help out a family who otherwise could not provide any toys for their children.. Please take a minute to think of others and help a needy family this Chrstmas!      12/05/2010

Several years ago, my clients and I viewed a home in an upper middle class neighbourhood that they fell in love with. The house needed some work, in particular the kitchen, but my client was in the kitchen renovation business!!  When we went into the basement, I immediately noticed that the floor had just been painted... then when I looked up into the joists, I saw the holes that were drilled all along the length of the house to allow for the electrical wires to feed through.  There was also some black mould visible on the joists.  Then the light bulb went on!!!  This was used as a grow house... I informed my clients of my suspicions, but told them not to be too alarmed... we can have the house inspected by a certified registered house inspector, and also have environmental testing done... 11/30/2010

  We are so busy in our daily lives, we sometimes forget those who are less fortunate. There are so many needy families who won't be able to provide anything for their chldren at Christmas,, not a toy, or a nice meal. In the public schools here, each class room "adopts" a needy family and the children are given the family abstract, i.e. one mother, one father, 2 girls, and 1 boy, etc. with the ages of the children.  They post this information on the outside of the classroom so every class member can choose what kind of gift to donate, whether practical or fun gift.  They even collect non perishable food to provide a meal at Christmas. My office has also adopted the spirit of giving and each year a month or so before Christmas, we place large containers in our offices to collect non-peri... 11/27/2010

Can you believe that one month from today all the hype will be over? Dragging the tree up from the basement....with boxes and boxes of ornaments, the garlands in a tangled mess because the children just dumped them in the box the year before. No more driving around the parking lot at the mall trying to find a place to park so we don't have to walk 3/4 of a mile to the door... or no more fighting the crowds in the stores looking for the perfect gift for Aunt Sally, or snatching things off the shelves before someone else gets it! The toys are scattered everywhere and we are stuffed from eating too much turkey!!  The kids are bickering trying to figure out which toy to play with first .. leaving it in the middle of the floor to move on to the next one.... Meanwhile I'm trying to figure out... 11/26/2010

  AGENT VACATION AGREEMENT We all need a break from time to time, and one important decision facing you before you take that well deserved break... is "who is going to take care of my clients in my absence?" First and foremost, you need someone who is trustowrthy and honest, and has the same ethic you do in the way you conduct your busiiness, someone you can rely on without hesitation and know that your clients are in good hands. The one thing you need without question, is a Vacation Agreement, or Commission Agreement between you and the covering agent, so there is no misunderstanding when it comes to commission...    I have been aware of many circumstances where friendships are broken between agents because there was no clarity on the terms each was prepared to agree on.  This is YOUR ... 11/24/2010

If you don't already have a Facebook Page for your business, you need one. It's a perfect way to engage customers and keep all your company info in one place. Here's an excerpt from the site: With more than 300 million active users, Facebook is nearly the size of the United States in terms of population. In fact, odds are that you're a Facebook user, perhaps using it to keep in touch with family and friends, with a dash of business thrown in for good measure. Maybe you look at some of the 2 billion photos uploaded each month, or contribute a few of the 40 million daily status updates. In short: Facebook is where it's at, and you're already there. But what about your business? Does it use Facebook()? If you're a business owner, you really need to set up a Fan Page, or else you risk being... 11/24/2010

Providing great service to each and every one of my clients is first and foremost to me... and should be to all agents.  When my clients are happy, I am happy and it provides me with a great sense of satisfaction of a job well done.  I am lucky I work in an office that keeps ALL the agents accountable for providing a superior level of service.  I'm not sure if we are unique in this aspect, but GMAC sends out a questionnaire to each client after the transaction closes.  Its not lengthy and only takes 1-2 minutes to complete.  It is conducted by a third party, independant company and the survey is completely confidential... the agent does not see the answers to the questions asked, just an overall score. When an agent consistently falls short of achieving a reasaonable score on their surv... 11/23/2010

Its that time of year again... time to start thinking about preparing your home for winter if you haven't already done so.  Your home will require maintenance as temperatures begin to drop to keep it in shape through the winter months. Here are a few things you might want to consider before the winter sets in...   1.  Roof, Eaves and Downspouts Clean out the eaves of all debris and hose it down to remove all little bits Check the flashing on the rood to ensure there is no entry for water to get in Check the shingles for wear.  Replace any worn shingles Ensure downspouts are directed away from the home to prevent leakage into the basement.  2.  Inspect Door and Windows  If you have a basement that has window wells, cover with plastic for extra protection from the elements Replace any cra... 11/17/2010

Make Your Home  Accessible Having your home accessible to prospective Buyers as much as possible, is critical in the sale of your home.  Agents try to give as much notice as possible for requests to show your home, but there are times when last minute requests do occur.  Granting requests as much as possible is desirable ... the request you turn away may be the purchaser you've been waiting for. Dress For Success Looking good is important when you want to make a great impression, whether for a job interview or a social function. The same is true of a home that is on the market. When the "For Sale" sign goes up in front of your home, it should be "dressed" for the occasion. Since the first impression will be of the front of the house, a well-groomed exterior is crucial, from the landscap... 11/16/2010

LONDON - Britain's Prince William gave his bride-to-be Kate Middleton his mother's engagement ring so the late Princess Diana "didn't miss out on today and the excitement," he said on Tuesday. Amid a barrage of flash photography the beaming young couple showed off the blue sapphire ring, surrounded with diamonds, which Diana wore on her wedding day nearly 30 years ago. Her marriage to Prince Charles, heir-to-throne, ended in divorce in 1996 and Diana was killed aged 36 in a Paris car crash a year later, after a high-speed chase with the paparazzi in pursuit. "As you may recognize now it is my mother's engagement ring. So of course, it is very special to me, and Kate is very special to me now as well. It is only right the two are put together. "It is my way of making sure my mother didn'... 11/16/2010

Streetsville will once again host the Annual Mississauga Santa Claus Parade on Sunday, November 28, 2010. The Village of Streetsville is the backdrop for Mississauga's Santa Claus Parade. Enjoy floats and bands and even some of Santa's elves and some surprises while waiting for the arrival of Santa Claus! The parade will start at approximately 12:50 pm on Queen Street South at Britannia Road and travel south through the Village to disperse at various locations after the Church Street junction.  Come out and enjoy the fun and see Santa and and his reindeer! 11/16/2010